When applied to music, the term "color" usually refers to various extensions and alterations within chords. John demonstrates how he adds color to chords in order to change the overall tone and mood of...

With a quick recap of inversions, John now discusses geometry vs. geography on the guitar and how each factor is used to create a whole new harmonic vocabulary. Shifting registers and octave displacement...

John expands on his Chord Alchemy series with different concepts and practical applications to carry you further down the road of becoming a chord master! This video gives you a clue as to what you can...

A big part of visualizing and committing these concepts to memory is doing the physical work of neck mapping. In this lesson John explains what that is and gives you your first neck mapping assignment!

There's always a different way.... a different way to finger chords, that is! John opens us up to the idea of alternate fingerings in this lesson, and why you want to explore this path in your playing.

Having a good ear is not just based on natural ability. There are steps you can take and exercises you can do to train your ear. In this lesson John gives you an exercise to start training yourself to...

Earlier, John explored moving higher notes in chords against a consistent root note. Now the opposite: moving the lower notes in a chord while keeping the higher notes consistent. This makes for some very...

The way you group strings goes a long way to determining how colorful your chord voicings can be. Certain close intervallic colors can only be achieved through odd fingerings using "big stretches". John...

John shows us yet another great technique for generating options in your playing. Superimposing chromatic triads over the same bass note gives you chord tones that you might not have thought of otherwise!

John continues to look at the blues, this time exploring dominant 7th chords. Specifically, how to draw out the melodic content to give your voicings more color and purpose in the context of the blues.

Working in open strings when you can gives your voicings a much wider range of color and timbre. In this lesson, John shows us some of his favorite ways to use open strings.

Length: 10:19Difficulty: 3.0Members Only

About John MarchView Full Biography
John March, a professional musician, audio craftsman/technologist and consultant with 30 years in the Industry, is focused on creating opportunities that utilize his aggregate skill-sets and diverse professional experience to creatively solve problems for projects and events that serve the greater good.

John March, a professional musician, audio craftsman/technologist and consultant with 30 years in the Industry, is focused on creating opportunities that utilize his aggregate skill-sets and diverse professional experience to creatively solve problems for projects and events that serve the greater good.
By bridging the gap between artist and technical craftsman, March is able to solve complex problems and function as a liaison between fiscal, technical, logistical and creative team members. His specialties include advanced creative problem solving and consulting, and utilizing cutting-edge and evolving technologies.
March’s resume includes having been trained at the Record Plant in NYC, and working with some of the best musicians in the world such as Michael Jackson and Sting, functioning as the lead mixer for Fox Family Channel, Director of Audio Operations for TCI International’s interactive division, designing recording studios, and working on large-scale productions for entertainment corporations such as Warner Bros, DreamWorks, and Oracle. John currently plays and records with the Zen Blues Quartet featuring; Mike Finnigan – B3 and Vocals (Grammy award winner and Platinum Artist, performed with Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Peter Frampton, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Phantom Blues Band and Taj Mahal, Dave Mason, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Rait, Crosby Stills and Nash…), Steve Ferrone – Drums (Grammy award winner and Platinum Artist, performed with Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Average White Band…), Tim Scott – Bass and lead vocals (Jack Mack, Tower of Power, Robben Ford, Stevie Wonder…), and can be seen playing around LA with the “Existential Cowboys”, comprised of session musicians Jimmy Earl – Bass (Chick Corea, Robben Ford and The Jimmy Kimmel show), Jeff Paris – KBDS and Vocals (Dave Stewart, Ringo Starr, Keb Mo), and Sergio Gonzalez – Drums.
Although the focus of March’s work has been music, audio production and post-production, he has always operated at the cutting edge of technological possibility. As a serious technologist with a strong ability to realize technological and production methodologies and solutions, as well as develop and manage teams of production and design personnel, March’s top priority is always to bring out the best in the people he works with in order to create the best possible end product. Recent projects have included consulting and sound design for multiple iPhone and iPad apps and sound supervisor for various film and TV projects.
A message from John:
I am a career musician/guitarist, sound mixer and audio/technology consultant, and have been since since 1980. I am also a single dad with an amazing and wonderful 19 year old son, a scuba diver, zen student, teacher, writer, Buddhist facilitator in training, and amateur photographer. I have spent most of my life exploring the connection between art and spiritual practice, service and engaged social activism.
My zen teacher used to say that; “the quality of your Life is dependent on the focus of your attention.” I am deeply interested in situations and opportunities that move me towards the most creative place and the best possible solutions for each and every project that i work on. I believe that it is within our grasp to create situations and opportunities that transform and re-write the cultural status quo. To re-imagine the global culture as a communal work of Art. The great Zen teacher Suzuki Roshi said things very clearly in his book Zen Mind, Beginners Mind, when he said, “All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something.”

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